Tholomew



' UNITED sTATEs 'PATENT oEEioE.

FREDERICK H. BARTHOLOMEW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HYDRANT.

`Slzvecicaton ofLetters Patent No. 22,927', dated February 15, 1859.

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. BAR- THOLOMEW, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved mode of` constructing hydrants and stop-cocks adapted to the purposes of firehydrants and for other hydrants and uses;

. and I do hereby declare that the following the various parts of the same, so as to avoid the necessity of shutting off the water at other places than at the hydrant, or of digging up when repairs or thawing out is required, for which purpose I employ an auX- iliary valve to be shut by the action of the water when the main valve is withdrawnwithdrawing the valve through the water way of the hydrant-arranging the waste passage and constructing, and arranging, the waste plug and stem so that they may be readily withdrawn through the main water way, the waste way being arranged beneath the main valvew-providing a chamber about the valve seat to afford facility for thawing out the hydrant-employing a hollow or tubular valve stem, through which access may be had to remove and thaw ice beneath the valve, dispensing with a portion of the upper portion of the hydrant heretofore used, but not iii this required, &c.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now proceed to describe the construction, arrangement, and operation of the same.

I construct my hydrant and stop cock (when adapted to fire hydrants) of cast iron in two main parts, the lower part (see drawing), which forms the upper and lower valve faces, or seats, is secured to the upper portion by bolts, the caliber, or water way through the hydrant from the valve seat C up, being just sufficient to admit the valve to be withdrawn and replaced through it (say 5 to 6 inches diameter). The lower part of the hydrant has, say four guides H, H, both below and above the valve seat to guide the spherical valve E and the main valve and rod 'I.

D, D, is a chamber about the valve seat into which hot water, steam, salt, Sac., may be introduced, to thaw out, or prevent freezing; I, a hollow or tubular valve rod having its upper end closed by a screw plug which plug when removed affords direct access by tube or other means, to thaw the ice that- Vmay accumulate below the valve seat when the cap of the hydrant is removed; K and L, guides or supports attached to the valve rod to keep it from turning or bending, &c., having openings through for water passage.

.On the upper end of the rod I, I secure a brass male screwhworking in female screw Aand spindle S. `The spindle or screw S, may be made and packed in any desirable way as shownwor otherwise.

I), is the waste valve rod, the lower end of which is enlarged where it passes through the waste orifice, so that when the main valve is shut down, (it being shown as open in drawing) or when the main valve is withdrawn and the valve E forced up to its seat and the water thus shut off the waste way will in either case be opened. This waste valve rod is attached to the upper support or guide L, and which valve and rod, by springing it back from the main valve rod `can be withdrawn or replaced independentof the main valve, the opening and closing of the main valve also opening or closing the waste way and by which facility is provided for keeping the waste passage clear, or clearing it when obstructed. F or the purpose of giving more direct access to the waste passage from the top, I propose casting a projection, (hollow), on the side of the hydrant shown in figures within which to arrange the waste valve rod, (this projection may or may not be used or cast). I propose employing vulcanized rubber for facing the valve and for the auxiliary or stop valve E. I propose a spherical form of rubber, or other suitable substance composition,-metal covered with rubber or other material whose specic gravity (in latitudes particularly where ice might form below the valve seat) should be greater or heavier than water, so that when the upper valve is shut down the lower valve will descend to a4 point below where ice would be most likely to form.

Figure l shows a vertical section and Fig.

2 a side elevation, the latter figure showing 1 seat shown in Fig.. l. (I make them in both ways.)

For the purpose of conlining spindle S F ig. l, in its place, I place a thin metal disk on the top of the hydrant, through which, and upon which, the collar of S rests, employing a leather washer on the collar of S and between the leather and the cap of the hydrant I place a thick rubber disk or washer, which acts to keep the water from escaping. I make one or more passages (if needed) in the spindle S, through which oil may be applied to t-he screw, through spout, or otherwise, any desirable form of valve may be employed instead of spherical E form.

I do not confine the use of the improvement described simply to lire hydrant and stop purposes, as I have used applied the spherical auxiliary valve E, to the purpose of a common house or yard hydrant and stop, or shut o.

Operation: Fig, 1, shows the main valve open, waste shut. Remove the guard cap and with wrench screw the valve rod I, down when by shutting olf the flow of water, the waste plug is also depressed and waste way opened, the valve E, (if spherical) descending as shown. Should ice form below valve seat, and above lower sphere E, take 01T cap of hydrant and remove screw plug in top of valve hollow rod I, and apply therethrough hot water, steam, &c., through a small tube having a vessel of hot water attached to top of it, inserted into and through rod I, thus producing a current of hot water the whole length of the said small tube L. Should ice stick main valye tight to seat, -ill chamber D, D, with salt, hot water, Sac., and heat the valve seat. To repair valve or other work, turn screws so far up as that the lower end of rod I will allow valve E to be forced up to its seat and shut olf the main llow of water, when vthe cap and all the working parts above valve seat maybe withdrawn and replaced without stopping off the water from other parts than directly at the hydrant. Should the upper portion of the trunk of hydrant be broken the same may be removed and replaced by new one without disturbing the stop valve E or valve seats.

Instead of constructing the trunk of the hydrant in two parts it may be cast in one piece dispensing with lower flange bolts, &c. Instead of forming the valve face on the casting forming the lower part of the hydrant, a separate part constituting the valve seat may be employed it being secured between the flanges of the upper and lower parts 'of the hydrant.

I arrange the waste way below the main valve seat for the purpose of securing the valve from the etfect of frost.

Having described my improvement what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. I claim the combination of the valve E, with the main valve-*and its fixed valve seats C, the whole constructed arranged-and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. I claim the arrangement of chamber D D within the trunk of the hydrant surrounding the seat of the main valvehaving a waste passage at the bottom-substantially as, and for the purposes described.

3. I claim the arrangement of the waste passage the waste plug and rod in combination, substantially as and for the purposes described.

FREDERICK H. BARTHOLOMEW.

Vxitnesses F. M. BARTI-IOLOMEW, VILLIAM I-IoRNE. 

